Everyday
by Orange Oak
Summary: Once in a lifetime means there's no second chance. Unoriginal title I know but it's better than it sounds. Please RR


This is the sequel to Gotta Go My Own Way. If you're reading this you should probably read that first. But if you don't want to then...read on! Love from Mee!

P.S. I know I spelled Me with double e's!

Everyday

Once in a lifetime

Means there's no second chance

So I believe that you and me

Should grab it while we can

Make it last forever

And never give it back

It's our turn, and I'm loving, where we're at

Cause this moments really all we have

The nighttime was a time for thinking Gabriella found. She sat awake on her bed wondering, in the early morning, what the day would bring. With her knees brought up to her chest she took in slow deep breaths. Quietly she got out of bed and strolled over to her balcony doors. Opening them she then went out onto the empty balcony. The cool air against her skin felt amazing. In the early morning the birds chirped with the rising sun. "Today is gonna be a good day." she said with a smile.

Her prediction was not to be wrong. Taylor came over, without Chad, as those two had been attached at the hip lately, and they just hung out. After watching a few movies they began to talk. Taylor traipsed around the subject of Troy but Gabriella went right into it. "I told him it was time for me to go my own way."

"Oh, my God. And you're just telling me this?" Taylor exclaimed in her usual cheery voice. "Well good for you. I think it's about time."

"Really? So does my Mom. She says a little life without TB never hurt anybody. Besides I lived all my life without him, what's a little while longer, right?"

"Right." said Taylor with a most energetic smile.

"What...Tay?" laughed Gabriella.

"Oh shut up." Taylor joked back."But seriously, I'm happy for you." she smiled again and Gabriella was glad to have her around. "So what do we do now?"

"Talk about you and Chad." that was another subject Taylor seemed to avoid. Why? Gabriella had no idea. She knew her best friend liked the boy, there was no need or reason to try and hide it. As if she could anyway.

"Well..." Taylor blushed holding her hands on her hips. "...what do you want to know?"

"Everything!" exclaimed Gabriella.

From there Taylor continued to tell Gabriella everything that had been happening between Chad and herself. How he'd stopped in the middle of a hoops game to ask her out. How he's given her that little nickname Gabriella was teasing her about. And how he really was the sweetest guy she'd ever met, even if he was a little slow sometimes. He was always there for her and nothing got in the way of that.

For a moment Gabriella was jealous, but happiness won out of the two battling emotions. As good a friend as she was, Taylor deserved happiness. 'But so do I.' thought Gabriella as she hugged Taylor before the sound of a horn sounded just outside the window. "That will be Chad...again. I'll see you. Love ya sister."

"Love you too Taylor." Gabriella threw herself back down onto the couch and thought about life. Her life. What was she going to do now? Troy was really gone, and she had seen to that. Why hadn't she taken him back? She didn't know and she didn't feel as strong as she once did about her decision to cut him out of her life. She was confused. How had she been so sure once? That this, this decision, was the absolute right one? She knew not the reason or where the strength had come from but she knew for sure that it was gone now.

For a few hours Gabriella's train of thought went this way and she was unsure of how to stop it. How to move on to something else. She tried everything. Watching TV, reading a book, singing along with music videos, getting on the computer...but nothing seemed to get her mind off of Troy. Nothing worked and she was beginning to tire of new things when the phone rang. She picked it up without looking at the number. "Hello?" she said curiously.

"Come outside." said a voice and then the person hung up. Gabriella wondered, for a moment, how the person had gotten her phone number. And then she began to wonder if it was some elaborate trick to get her outside and egg her or something. 'Who would wanna play a joke on me?' she asked herself in her mind. When she could think of no one she got her coat, buttoned it up and went to the door. She looked out of the peephole first to see if she saw anyone suspicious. Just Mrs. Fiddle raking her lawn this Saturday afternoon.

Gathering up her courage Gabriella opened the door. There was the same nothing there she had seen through the peephole. She moved forward just a bit, nothing happened. And when nothing happened Gabriella advanced a bit more. "Oh!" she screamed as she fell forward, tripping over something. What, she knew not. Laying face down on her porch she prayed to God that no one, not even old Mrs. Fiddle, had seen. 'Get up!" that usually small voice in her mind ordered. And Gabriella did as she was told, springing to her feet. She wiped her coat off and laughed, as if it was all some practiced joke.

And then she looked down to where her feet had been. There was a small music box sitting there. She went over to it and examined it closely. It was made of pure gold and had etched flowers on it. It was beautiful and shined in the afternoon sun. she opened it, it played beautiful classic music and held a note. 'Come to the park, under the bridge.' it said. Gabriella wondered if she should. She wondered who could be behind it all. But, she decided, if she really wanted to find out she'd have to follow the note. She went inside carrying the music box up to her room and then she left the house in her Mother's van.

They say that you should follow

And chase down what you dream

But if you get lost and lose yourself

What does it really mean?

Ohh, no matter where we're going

It starts from where we are

There's more to life when we listen to our hearts

And because of you, I've got the strength to start

The park was crowded as usual but Gabriella found her way through the hordes of people just fine. The Autumn weather was cool and almost seemed wet. She walked through the park and the people it held. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a young couple. She stopped and watched them as they held hands and walked through the windy park cuddled together. She smiled at their backs and secretly wished for that. Someone to cuddle with on cool days, have picnics with, Barbeques and all sorts of things couples did together. Before she knew it she was at the "Old Oak" bridge. There were three men standing beneath it in trench coats and top hats that began to play the same classical music as the music box had. Gabriella knew it the moment she heard it. With a smile she went over to them and listened. It was beautiful and hectic all at the same time. She sat in an old chair that was always beneath the bridge.

When it ended and the ends of the music were carried away on the winds Gabriella clapped. "That was amazing." she said to the three violin players. "You guys are just too good to be true." Gabriella didn't know what else to say, so instead she stood and clapped some more. Sure it was only a standing ovation of one but she hoped it meant something.

"Thank you miss. Gabriella, we have something for you." said the tallest man on the end. He went into his pocket and pulled out a folded note much like the one in the music box. Gabriella gaped at him, how did he know her name?

"Who's doing this?" she asked accusingly, as if he himself was behind it all.

"Someone who cares a lot." he said with a twinkle in his brown eyes. "Take the note." Gabriella reached out and took the note from his hands. She unfolded it and began to read aloud.

"Come to 31st and Lang. You'll know the place." she said and she then looked to the man who gave her the note.

"Well, you better get going." he said tipping his hat toward her.

"Thanks for the show."

"Don't thank us, miss." said the one in the middle who also tipped his hat. The third just smiled at her and tipped his hat.

"Goodbye." said Gabriella. She ran through the crowd of people in the park with a wild smile on her face. Though she knew not who was taking her where she was happy. Today was really beginning to be a good day. The wind carried her hair back in waves as she ran toward her Mother's van but she soon came to a stop and hopped in. She started the van once more and drove toward her destination of 31st and Lang.

As she drove she took the time to call Taylor. "You would not believe where I am right now."

"Why, are you ok?" Taylor asked with worry in her voice, not noting Gabriella's cheery voice.

"Of course, of course. " said Gabriella hurriedly. "I'm on a...uh...clue chase."

"A what?" asked Taylor in her usual voice. Now that she knew not to be worried.

"There are these clues and I have to follow them. So now I am and it's lead me first to a trio of violin players. Oh, Taylor, they played the most beautiful song. I wish you could have been there. As a matter of fact how about I swing by and pick you up?"

"Umm, I'm sorry Gabby, but I'm with Chad." she really did sound sorry.

"Oh, it's fine. Enjoy yourself I gotta go, I'm almost there."

"Ok." said Taylor cheerily as she hung up. Gabriella smiled at the phone before throwing it into the passenger seat. It took sometime to get to 31st and Lang as the park was on 2nd street. But when she did get there she found a bar on the corner. She parked the car in front of it and then she walked the street. Trying to see where she should be going. Looking for any clue as to the exact location. And then she heard it. Violin music, the same from the park and the music box. She jumped up and down and turned in a circle before realizing how foolish she must have looked. As people passed, looking at her a bit funny, she just smiled and held her head down. The music was coming from the little restaurant, Gino's, next to the bar. Gabriella took a few steadying breaths to calm herself down and then she went over to Gino's and pulled the door open.

Inside it was a wash of green suede and satin. A few steps in she came to a podium where a man said "This is a private party, may I ask your name?" he said in an English accent.

"Gabriella, Gabriella Montez." she said nervously. If her name wasn't on the list she could forget about whatever awaited her. Had she really come all this way just to have to turn back?

"Follow me Miss Montez." he inclined his head in the left direction and Gabriella followed him through the restaurant. It was dark save for one spotlight on the stage.

"Is there some sort of show?" Gabriella asked the man who currently showing her to a table in the front.

"You shall see Miss Montez." he said watching her get comfortably into her seat. "Enjoy." and then he was gone into the darkness. And then there was the most beautiful piano melody, slow and soothing. Gabriella looked to the stage and sure enough at the end she could see a whit Grand Piano. Though who was playing, she could not see. And she heard it, a voice.

"The dawn is breaking.

A light shining through.

You're barely waking.

And I'm tangled up in you.

Yeah..."

A sudden movement from the right drew her attention away from where the piano player sat. Troy stood in the spotlight, in blue jeans and a fitting blue polo. Gabriella smiled, though she didn't feel it at the moment, up at him. Her eyes twinkled in the darkness and she could have sworn for a second when troy wasn't singing that he had smiled at her. He crossed the stage over to the piano, the spotlight following his every step, and soon Gabriella saw Kelsi sitting at the grand piano.

"I'm opened, you're closed.

Where I follow, you'll go.

I worry I won't see your face.

Light up again.

Even the best fall down sometimes.

Even the wrong words seem to rhyme.

Out of the doubt that fills my mind.

I somehow find.

You and I.

Collide."

Gabriella's smile widened at the sight of the short girl in her almost awkward blue cap. Kelsi looked out into the crowd and smiled at Gabriella, she was sure of it, and went on playing. Gabriella got up out of her seat and walked up to the stage. As Troy sang he looked down deep into her eyes. For a moment she couldn't hear the music playing or him singing, it was just him and her, for a moment only.

"I'm quiet you know.

You make a first impression.

But I've found I'm scared to know I'm always on your mind.

Even the best fall down sometime.

Even the stars refuse to shine.

I somehow find.

You and I.

Collide."

Gabriella watched as Troy again crossed the stage to the right, the spotlight keeping in time with him, as he walked down a short flight of stairs. Singing, he walked over to her and held her right hand in his left. He sang from his heart and soul into her own. The words dawned on her and she wondered if they meant what she thought they meant. Was he really feeling the way he claimed through song?

"Don't stop here.

I lost my place.

I'm close behind.

Well even the best fall down sometimes.

Even the wrong words seem to rhyme.

Out of the doubt that fills your mind.

You finally find you and I collide.

Finally find you and I collide.

You finally find you and I collide."

As the song came to an end Troy and Gabriella were face to face, forehead to forehead, chest to chest in each others arms. His heart raced, as did hers, as he awaited the answer to an unasked question. "What does this mean Troy?"

"This means I was wrong all along. Sharpay was never the girl for me and I was an idiot to believe that. I love you Gabriella and all I can ask is that you take me back as your friend and so much more." she was on the spot, she knew it and felt it too.

"Umm..."

Everyday

Of our lives

Wanna find you there, wanna hold on tight.

Gonna run

While we're young

And keep the faith

Everyday

From right now

Gonna use our voice and scream out loud

Take my hand

Together we will celebrate

Oh, everyday

Laying in bed Gabriella thought back to her decision. Had it been right? Only time would tell. As she turned over to her right side she encountered soft brown hair. Sniffing it, it smelled a lot like Axe. She loved it, the smell of him beside her. Just being with him, she loved it. There was nothing like the feeling she felt when waking him up just to say "I love you, Troy."

"I love you, Gabriella" and there was nothing in the world like hearing those words from his lips.

Fin

The songs are Everyday from The Highschool Musical 2 movie and Howie Day's Collide. Hope you enjoyed this as much as I did.


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